It's been a long and difficult journey for Cliq owners, but it looks like the finish line may just be around the corner – Motorola is now allowing a limited number of users to test out the update to Android 2.1 Eclair.

Jealous? Don't be - thanks to the folks over at Android Central, the rest of us get to join in on the fun too. Unfortunately, the process isn't exactly as simple as an OTA, so here's how to do it:

  1. Download the update file (it should be called "Blur_Version.2.1.5.MB200.T-Mobile.en.US.zip") from here.

    Update: It was bound to happen sooner or later - the file at the link above has been pulled. Luckily, we've hunted down a mirror for you, so download away right here.

  2. Connect your phone to your computer and make sure it is in "USB Drive" mode.
  3. Copy the update file to the root of your SD card (that is the main folder).
  4. Unplug your phone.
  5. Press the Menu button, then select Settings.
  6. In Settings, go to "About Phone" > "System Updates."
  7. Wait for the update option to appear, then select "Copy," then "Install Now."
  8. After the update is completed, be sure to delete the update file from your SD card after plugging your phone back into your computer and mounting it as a USB Drive once more.

While it's kind of disappointing to see that Motorola and T-Mobile have yet to roll out an official software update (not to mention the fact that Eclair is now a dying OS while FroYo has become the new standard), it's still better than nothing - and to be fair, Samsung Behold users are in a far worse situation than this.

Source: Android Central Forums via Android Central (1) (2)